Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast

This week Shauna and Dan chew the fat and debunk some origin stories. Bonus: Soul-disco, teething children, and bored Cowboys It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan burn all the bridges behind them. And sometimes boats. Or maybe they'll light a river on fire. Bonus: Failure is always an option It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan try not to upset the apple cart. Bonus: The USA's earliest pen pals, wizardly cats, and Gudrun Lauret's disruptive creators (or possibly creative disruptors) It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved  

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, flash in the pan. Bonus: Hubble taking pictures of long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, Epic burns of the 1600s, and Texas: the America of America. It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, Pay the Piper. Bonus: Multicolored musicians, English History, and Horror Stories It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan Throw Down the Gauntlet to see what origin story comes out on top. Bonus: Secret Societies, Wizardless Duels, and 80s movies Dan hasn't seen It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan are feeling run into the ground. Join as they explore the possible origins of this phrase from farming to hunting and nautical to nonsense. Bonus: 17 less ads than Divorce Court in 1961 It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan have to pay the ferryman. Well, not exactly. Bonus: Charon, Commodores, and Chris de Burgh It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan speak out against the silence with the phrase, Mums the Word. Bonus: Workers Rights, Charley's Men, and Stokyn Lyppis It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

RETRO: This week Shauna and Dan ponder whether or not we are all in the same boat, or if we are just in the same body of water with some people on yachts while others are in little rowboats. Bonus: Egg frying, white-washed war bond ads, and Dan's great-great-grandmothers newspaper Originally aired June 23, 2021 It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan get near the bottom of this elusive phrase. Bob's Your Uncle has several origin stories, but there's always been a missing link between the most popular story and the first time it could be verified in print. Well, until now. Check out this breaking news in the world of 130-year-old phrases! Originally aired July 28, 2021. It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Shownotes are always available on our website, bunnytrailspod.com Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan shoot for the moon! Bonus: A man in a button factory, Debunking internet myths, and Steve Irwin saves the day It's free to join our Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod On our Patreon you have direct access to reach Shauna and Dan, plus join our weekly chats and polls. Paid tiers have even more perks, like early access and name recognition on the show. So join us on Patreon! patreon.com/bunnytrailspod Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan look into diamond in the rough and the two contemporary phases that merged to give us this phrase. Bonus: Dan learns something new, Your hosts accidentally take on the diamond cartel, and Shauna talks about a prison newspaper Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week is a wild ride as Shauna and Dan explore the phrase Public Enemy No 1. Bonus: Poetic lyrical sons, Al Capone, and that time President Lincoln was taken hostage by... John Dillinger? Told you it would be a wild ride. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, Bite My Head Off. Which feels better than the earlier version of this phrase. Bonus: Grump Valentines, Chocolate Bunnies, and Praying Mantises all the way down Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan discuss the fork in the road. Not ours, mind you. But someone's fork. Probably. Bonus: Religious parables, Yogi Berra, and Misremembering poems Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

RETRO Episode: What are Ides? Why should we Beware the Ides of March? Should we beware the Ides of other months? Do other months even have Ides? Bonus: Calends, Nones, and Caesars Copyright 2025 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan wait for the other shoe to drop. Dan gets really excited to hear the rather basic origins of this phrase. Bonus: Boarding houses, Bob Cross, and park benches Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan rack their brains to think of good phrases to explore. Okay, that was a bad joke. But rack my brain is a fun episode. Trust us. Bonus: Beatles, Rebuses, and rack vs wrack Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan throw in the towel. Well, not really. Though Shauna did note we should have saved this phrase for our last episode. Alas. Bonus: Entrepreneurs, rich hillbillies, and so many boxing movies Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, Stick to Your Ribs. Bonus: Visits from series regulars John Ray, Edmund Burke, and Louise Pound, plus our favorite stick to your ribs books. Also, mac-daddi-roni! Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan try to track down the figurative use of Jump Through Hoops, since people have literally been jumping through hoops since hoops were invented. Bonus: Shauna's hoops, bill paying in the 90s, and how your hosts brains work Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan find out why there were canaries in coal mines, giving us this common phrase. Bonus: Anthropomorphic birds, the black lung, and that time in the late 80s when we solved a climate crisis through international cooperation Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan take The Lion's Share. Apparently, this concept has been around since before English. (Shauna says Aesop didn't speak English. Citation Needed.) Bonus: Cheese mongers, pumpkin pies, and Walter with a banana joke Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan look into the phrase "Cut the Mustard". Does this originate with the yellow mustard stuff, or perhaps from a mishearing of a military term? Bonus: Old political parties, bad internet habits, and a silly commercial from the 1980s Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan get a new lease on life. Well, they look into the phrase, anyway. Bonus: Rhyming poems, sad commercials, and a hoarders dream come true! Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan are joined by 'Words Christmas Gave Us' author Grace Tierney to talk about Christmas, Boxing Day (St. Stephens Day if you are in Ireland - Do NOT make that mistake), and fun holiday traditions. Happy holidays from all of us at Bunny Trails! Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

It's that time of year! Shauna and Dan deep dive into the holiday phrase, Christmas Spirit. The feeling, not the ghosts. Bonus: Curmudgeonly old men, spirits pitching the Christmas spirit, and the great bagel vs donut debate. Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "Third Time's the Charm". Dan finally connects the dots on some similar phrases, too. Bonus: Existential dread, sandwich annihilation, and quilt-making in a weekend. Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan call all aboard on the Gravy Train. Bonus: Dubious origins, bad maths, Pink Floyd, and poutine. Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase Light Years Ahead. Bonus: Science terms, surprise parties, and how to live your best life - through organizational development. Probably.  Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan look back into the past to discover the origins of the phrase, Hindsight is 20/20. Bonus: Snellen Charts, Astronauts, and the Red Green Nation Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan look into the phrase, 'Clear the Air' in both its literal and figurative forms. Bonus: Winds of truth, Dan's brilliance, and the little lies we tell Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the Skeleton in the Closet, sometimes known as the Skeleton in the Cupboard. Bonus: Gravestone battles, Jazz music, and literal skeletons in cupboards. Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore why all roads lead to Rome. Bonus: 80s music, abstract art, and miles to McDonalds. Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

In a mini episode this week, Shauna and Dan discuss the word "ice" and briefly look at two icy idioms; On Thin Ice and Break the Ice.  Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

A lean, tall clock stops the moment its owner dies. Is it an episode of The Twilight Zone or the catalyst for the term "Grandfather Clock?"  Bonus - The talent of Sam Lucas, plus Knickerbockers! Outro Song: My Grandfathers Clock by H.C. Work, Arranged and performed by Michael Pugh, Shauna Harrison, Dan Pugh. Originally Aired February 23, 2022 Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "Cut of His Jib". We also find out what in the heck a 'jib' is! Bonus: Jack Tar, Abstract Diptychs, and Singing in the Shower Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the gift of gab. Or sometimes, gob. Bonus: Fur babies, blarney stones, pet voices, and art appreciation Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan delve into the phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Bonus: Dan pines for a Sister Act 3, Shauna steals coins from fountains, and Catholic Saints talk about when they should fast Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore why we call an unknown person John Doe or Jane Doe. This has MUCH older history than we expected. Bonus: We yeet the Court Leet and Dan shows off his math skills Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan discover that Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast is the bee's knees! Or at least we think so. It turns out, these two words together have had many meanings over the years before turning into something great. Bonus: Babe Ruth, Alanis Morissette, and the answer to everyone's question: Do bee's even have knees? Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan dive into the phrase, Fish Out of Water. Dan questions if Chaucer ever played Dungeons and Dragons, while Shauna geeks out over fish who can walk on land. Bonus: Picket Lines and the Joys of Retirement Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, Talk is Cheap. Spoiler: This phrase was not coined by P.T. Barnum, despite the Internet's insistence to the contrary. Bonus: Vulgar Tongues, Singers & their bands, and Bacon desserts Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan do their diligence to find out how to "Save My Bacon". Bonus: Bugbears, Budget Strategies, and controversial takes on what Country has the best bacon Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase "Keeping Up With the Joneses". Along the way your hosts ponder what massive changes must happen in a 100 year life span and who would play Dan in a movie about his life. Bonus: An anthropologist talks sociology

This week Shauna and Dan discover why someone would be the black sheep of a family. Warning: Dan knows absolutely nothing about sheep. And it shows. Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase "Heads Will Roll" featuring blood-lusting kings, murderous queens, and tyrannical dictators. Bonus: William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, and Beetlejuice. Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved

RETRO This week Shauna and Dan travel to Gettysburg to explore Civil War slang. They Acknowledge the Corn after they try to come the gum game, all while staying fit as a fiddle so they can see the elephant. BONUS: Learn how hardtack was like twinkies! #BunnyTrails Originally Aired August 7, 2019 Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, Reach Across the Aisle. Dan says it might be the most boring origin story they've ever done - seating charts. There's also a similar phrase in the United Kingdom. Bonus: Taylor Swift, Rock Churches, and one guy who watched 1,413 hours of the US House of Representatives meetings. Oof.  Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved

RETRO: Shauna and Dan take a cool drink of gourd water this week as they explore the phrase Cool as a Cucumber. We learn Dan abhors cucumbers unless they've been drowned in vinegar and he dislikes some of the previous words for cucumbers. It seems some old-timey folks disliked them, too. Bonus discussion: is cereal a soup? Copyright 2024 by The Readiness Corner, LLC - All Rights Reserved